The Truth Is in the Ashes - Paperback

An arsonist is on the prowl in the quiet Adirondack village of Goodwill and newsman Alex Provetto is drawn into solving the series of suspicious fires. However, personal and professional entanglements get in the way of his desires to get the scoop and uncover the truth. The more that he searches for answers, the greater the threat grows to his reputation, his career - even his life.

"The Truth Is in the Ashes" is more than just a small-town mystery. It is an exploration of trust with twists and surprises that will stay with you long after the final chapter. This is the second in a series of North Country mysteries written by veteran, award-winning newsman Christopher Mele, who delivers a compelling page-turner.

Mele, a 40-year news reporter and editor who now works as an editor at The New York Times, cut his teeth in news in the Adirondacks. His second novel is inspired by true-life events at the former Lake Placid Club Resort decades ago.

"The Truth Is in the Ashes" follows another Adirondacks-based mystery by Mele, "Goodwill's Secrets" (2024), which was a 2025 Silver Winner in the Author Award contest sponsored by the Milford Readers and Writers Festival in Milford, Pa., and was a finalist in the Best Thriller Book Awards contest.

Both novels reflect his brand of "fictional realism," the goal of which is to keep a novel grounded in realistic outcomes and procedures without taking fantastical leaps of logic while at the same time keeping the reader engaged with vivid settings, lively characters, humor and plot turns.